The aim of this project was to provide facilities at Luscombe Airfield, Holsworthy Barracks in order to enable the Army Emergency Response (AER) troops to provide necessary support to the flying operations of the 6th Aviation Regiment (6 Avn Regt). The Troop is responsible for fire fighting and general rescue duties during field exercises or deployments, as well as supporting special operations rotary wing tasks in the Sydney area and beyond.

The facilities required under this project included:

Troop HQ Office Accommodation;

Ablutions / Change Facilities;

Emergency Response Ready Room;

Breathing Apparatus storage and refilling facilities;

Fire Tender storage and maintenance facilities;

Chemical storage for the fire-fighting foam (AFFF);

A bunded area for foam testing including a provision of space for a future Foam Testing Area; and

Provision of services.

St Hilliers were able to achieve a number of significant design innovations that ensured whole of life and value for money was achieved for Defence, including the planned design of a single storey facility to minimise cost. Other initiatives included ensuring that in the event of an incident the emergency response team could reach the end of the runway within 116 seconds from the time the Crash Alarm is activated and the use of Epoxy Flooring designed to withstand the heat generated from the fire trucks.

In order to ensure a seamless handover, St Hilliers focused heavily on ensuring design, construction methodology and project plans met all critical Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Defence standards to guarantee acceptance by all stakeholders.